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Here's another link that describes a DIY method for taking copper through the two oxidation stages of cuprous oxide Cu2O and cupric oxide CuO. It's goal is cuprous oxide for a solar cell, but there are clues if youare aiming for cupric oxide instead:

"When the burner is glowing red-hot, the sheet of copper will be coated with a black cupric oxide coat. Let it cook for a half an hour, so the black coating will be thick. This is important, since a thick coating will flake off nicely, while a thin coat will stay stuck to the copper. After the half hour of cooking, turn off the burner. Leave the hot copper on the burner to cool slowly. If you cool it too quickly, the black oxide will stay stuck to the copper. "

I'm going to have to try this as the "naturally' oxidized copper wire that I've been suggesting we can use is obviously wrong. I repeat, disregard my suggestion to get scrap copper, I was wrong! I'll edit my previous posts with this correction.

If it is cupric oxide you are after there is an easy process to do this. This does NOT involve the formation of a cuprous oxide layer underneath and does not require heat. You simply immerse the copper in a solution of Liver of Sulphur (Sulphurated potash) leave it until the copper is really black, rinse well with clean water and leave to dry and harden for a day or so.

You can get the stuff in almost any craft supply store that caters for people making jewellery. The stuff will oxidise most metals.

...immerse the copper in a solution of Liver of Sulphur ...You can get the stuff in almost any craft supply store that caters for people making jewellery. The stuff will oxidise most metals.

I had read all about this Potassium Sulfide, K2S. I phoned a bunch of local craft stores. None of them had it, or had even heard of it. (One nice lady told me to try tomato juice.) I found a bottle of Liver of Sulfur on the internet for three dollars and eight dollars shipping in four to six days. I did not want to wait another weekend and I would feel,... dirty..., paying over twice the product cost in shipping charges.

When I phoned a local hobby store, they did not carry it either. They suggested the Blacken-It product, which I tried.

Maybe it worked too well. I blackened a sample and measured an additional 10 thousandth of a millimeter in diameter; 0.005mm thick film. This may not seem like much, but on an atomic scale this may be far too many "atomic layers" deep for the photon interaction to affect the copper below. Perhaps a quick dip in a diluted solution is all that is required,... or necessary.

Hi all,does black mean massive photon materials surface interaction due to absorption of heat?Does the color change over thickness periodically while growing up the toplayer?Then the layer is translucent. Where do you want to get photon (IR?)interaction. On the outer surface or in the intermediate layer Cu/CuxOy?kaRL

[0100] The inductive photons 22 radiating from the sending coil 20 propagate to an energy-magnifying coil 24 that desirably has a cylindrical profile extending parallel to the sending coil. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), the energy-magnifying coil 24 does not terminate at the ends, but rather it is constructed with a connector 30 to form a continuous conductor. The energy-magnifying coil 24 desirably is a helical coil made of a material comprising a photoconductive or superconductive material, or other suitable material. If necessary or desired, the energy-magnifying coil can be formed on a substrate that, if used, desirably is transmissive to the inductive-photon radiation produced by the coil.

Further on it says:

[0004] Applicant has deduced that Leimer's energy magnification most likely was due to low-mass electrons that were liberated and made conductive in the antenna by alpha radiation, which allowed these special electrons to be given a greater-than-normal acceleration by the received radio-broadcast photons. Applicant has further deduced that such low-mass electrons must have originated in a thin-film coating of cupric oxide (CuO) on the antenna wire. CuO is a dull-black, polycrystalline, semiconducting compound that develops in situ on copper and bronze wire in the course of annealing the wire in the presence of air. Such CuO coatings have been observed by Applicant on historical laboratory wire at the Science Museum at Oxford University, U.K., and on copper house wire of that era in the U.S., indicating that CuO coatings were commonplace. In later years, annealing has taken place under conditions that prevent most oxidation. This is followed by acid treatment to remove any remaining oxides, leaving shiny wire.

As far as I know cupric oxide has no such properties. Cuprous oxide has.What, if anything, am I missing here?

Karl, you seem to have a lot of experience with semiconducting layers, what is your take on this?

I think the key word here is "or", as in .........photoconductor or semiconductor or superconductor ....... which gives us 3 possible variations for an "energy-magnifying coil".

Cupric oxide CuO is a semiconductor (at least that's what my searching has found) so it's safe to proceed!

There are also many references linking CuO to HTSC superconductor compounds.

This is still unexplored territory, but at least a map of some worth is in front of us.

tak

G'day Tak.

This is where the confusion arises. I do not know much about the role of cupric oxide as a superconductor and at what temperatures, but one thing I think I know, is that the statement: CuO is a dull-black, polycrystalline, semiconducting compound that develops in situ on copper and bronze wire in the course of annealing the wire in the presence of air. is wrong.

Please correct me on this if I am mistaken.

I have always felt that every time someone proves one wrong on some point, an opportunity for learning presents itself. This I do not mind at all. In the meantime though I stick with what I think is correct.

I found this answer. Medical grade hydrogen peroxide, if you do not want to make your own.

Also google CuO description and you will see that there is much more to CuO and it's properties than you would think

From Yahoo answers:I suggest you a liquid medium, an aqueous solution.In a glass-beaker, you put diluted Sodium Hydroxide (e.g. Alkaline and Harmful Liquid) where will aid AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE's solution (e.g. Take care of your skin and eyes! Harmful liquid! Dont' breath its vapours!) hence HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (e.g. medical concentration may satisfy you).Well, you dipp several Copper-bodies and you wait several days tightening the beaker against its fumes.The liquid will tarnish black-bluish

How do you get a stable pure form of Copper (II) Oxide when you react Copper (II) Sulfate with Potassium Hydroxide?A. Y. Wong

You'll form a blue, bulky precipitate of Cu(OH)2 first, according to

CuSO4(aq) + 2 KOH(aq) right arrow K2SO4(aq) + Cu(OH)2(s) If you add too much KOH, the precipitate will dissolve (and you get an intensely blue solution of complex copper ions). Add it a little at a time until you see no more precipitate form.

Filter off the copper(II) hydroxide, and wash it to remove the soluble potassium sulfate. Pour the clean precipitate into an evaporating dish and dry it very gently:

Cu(OH)2(s) CuO(s) + H2O(g) You should see black powder form. That's the copper(II) oxide. If you heat it too much, it will decompose further into copper(I) oxide and oxygen.

Sorry fellows. Further research indicates that cupric oxide is indeed a p-type semiconductor. My earlier statement is therefore wrong. Thanks Tak for pointing me in the right direction.

It does beg one question though and that is why cuprous oxide is used in photocells instead of cupric oxide.

The cuprous oxide layer is difficult to produce, an even film is impossible to obtain and the layer is very thin and delicate.

On the other hand cupric oxide is easy to produce chemically, an even film can be obtained with ease and the layer is far more robust. From what they are telling us this is far superior. So why then do they insist on using cuprous oxide.

Questions I have so far no answers for. I shall keep you posted on further findings.